Milford School Committee Member Brendan Rickert To Run For Re-Election

MILFORD, MA — Milford residents will head to the polls to vote on two seats on the town's School Committee, and current member Brendan Rickert has announced his candidacy for re-election.

Rickert has served on the School Committee since 2023. If elected, he will serve a second term.

Growing up in Connecticut, Rickert said his family was drawn to service as his father was a firefighter, his mother was a paraprofessional, and his grandmother worked at City Hall. However, Rickert said education unlocks the key to everything.

"A good, solid public education is what I think every child is entitled to," Rickert told Patch. "I felt like my time and energy and resources would be best spent on the School Committee."

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Throughout his time on the School Committee, Rickert said he's helped implement a number of plans, including getting the high school accepted into the Massachusetts School Building Authority program, which will help the district ultimately get funding for a feasibility study for a potential reconstruction projects.

Rickert said the School Committee has been able to launch two new curricula, one in math and one in reading, and a Spanish immersion program, which begins in kindergarten. The Spanish immersion program is funded and supported through the fifth grade.

"Where other districts have had to lay off teachers, staff, and faculty, we've been able to not only maintain our headcount but also increase as needed," Rickert told Patch. "I'm pretty proud that despite some really tough budget decisions, that we've been able to maintain a high quality of support for our students."

The biggest issue facing the School Committee

Even so, Rickert thinks the School Committee's biggest issue currently is the budget, as it gets increasingly difficult to keep a balanced budget.

"Transportation costs are continuing to increase, threats from the federal government cutting funding have created a lot of uncertainty," Rickert said. "The state is winding down its support; it's a very modest support they're giving... more local contribution will have to come from the town to maintain our services."

Rickert holds a bachelor's and two master's degrees from Sacred Heart University, and now works in the biotech industry. He said that, along with a first term, his work prepares him well for a role on the School Committee.

"It's really the ability to work with people, understand what positions they have and where they're coming from, and how we can find a solution," Rickert told Patch. "We're all here for a common goal of educating our students."

The Annual Town Election is scheduled for Tuesday, Apr. 7. Several elected official positions will appear on the ballot, including one open seat on the Board of Health, which will be the only contested race.

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